Apple Updates MacBook Air Line, But Core 2 Duo Still Inside
Apple Updates MacBook Air Line, But Core 2 Duo Still Inside
Posted 10/20/2010 at 11:23pm
| by Pulkit Chandna
14
Comments
Print
There is some major news for those of you waiting for Apple to bring its outdated MacBook Air into the present. The Cupertino-based company has performed another unimaginably improbable feat by updating the outdated ultrathin, while still failing at the herculean task of bringing it into the post Core 2 Duo era. But given Apple’s numerous “magical and groundbreaking” exploits, it shouldn’t be too difficult to cut it some slack, right?
The Air, which will now be available in 11.6-inch (new) and 13.3-inch screen sizes, is said to have become lighter, thinner and faster following the update. Apple has eschewed the hard drive in favor of solid-state storage, allowing the new Air models to have instant-on functionality and a longer battery life. As the flash storage is housed directly on the system board, as opposed to a solid-state drive enclosure, there is more room for the battery and other components.
The 11.6-inch model is priced $999 and features a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of memory, 64GB of storage. You can double the storage for a couple of Franklins. Its 13.3-inch cousin is priced $1,299 and features a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of memory, and 128GB of flash storage (double the storage for three Benjamins).
Image Credit: Apple
More like this
14
Comments
Comments are closed on this article
Bender2000
October 21, 2010 at 6:58am
No way you can call this a netbook. The full fledged CPU and up to 4GB RAM preclude that. I see that Apple has to stick to Core 2 over Core i3/i5 to keep the nVidia graphics. It also has a hi def display, full size keyboard and track pad. SO don't think this is a netbook because it blows them away. I'll wait to see how it performs against similar laptops with the COre i3/i5. But for me, I can't use something with such limited storage so I'll pass. It is a great little thing if you want a little thing, but laptops are gettting lighter all the time so is the diminishing advantage worth it?
Shadai
October 21, 2010 at 12:59pm
Why not?
Last time I checked the latest adam-like netbook chip was like 1.3 and duel core. Seems to me its pretty much on par. Toss in a graphics chip and you can probably play WoW at best. You certainly can't play Crysis or Far Cry 2 on the netbook. Oh thats right, you can't play that on a mac anyway. Perhaps a bad comparison.
Oh and most netbooks have more storage.
And there's one more thing....
I almost forgot. They're 500 to 600 dollars CHEAPER.
Other then that, this mac shit is exactly the definition of a netbook. Screen size? Check. Long battery life? Check. Shitty computing power? Check.
Grats Steve Jobs for being a hypocrite (again).
Bender2000
October 22, 2010 at 7:23am
Atom CPUs are bogus. You have to go back to the original Pentium M to find that level of performance. So what if they are dual core. You can't compare the two chips. You also can't compare the two graphics systems either, descrete nVidia whips up on integrated Intel hands down. So if you revisit your definition of netbook you'll have to take out the last caveat and rethink the other two. I'll also venture that the display is likely an IPS panel and performs much better than any netbook.
Sure $600 is a big price difference, but you don't buy laptops by the pound. Well, I don't but it sounds like you do, Shadai. If you want lighter and more expensive their is that Sony VAIO X series which has exactly what you are looking for - Atom CPU, 533MHz DDR2, long battery life, light weight and even a touch of style. Low Res screen, cramped keyboard and small touchpad really don't matter to you, do they? And it is reasonably priced well over $1000. That is exactly the definition of a netbook.
Shadai
October 22, 2010 at 11:05am
Well I don't really care, but since you are going to call me out and everything....
I don't buy laptops by the pound, nor do I buy overpriced, underperforming, tech-from-3-years-ago piles of crap just because it has an apple on the cover. Jobs slings BS all the time, and clearly you are impressed.
Looks like a netbook, kinda smells like one, but the great Steve Jobs and Bender say it is not. Okay, well, sure told me off. No problem. You wanna compete in cheap laptop land macboy? Good luck. There are laptops by the dozens that beat the pants off this crap with core i7 chips. Actually, anything core. Core i3 will run circles around this.
Oh yeah, and the best part? They are still all cheaper.
Go go aggressive pricing!
Hutif
October 21, 2010 at 6:43am
It may be a Core2Duo processor, but at least it uses DDR3 RAM. It looks great and I love the switch to solid-state, but it's still way more than I'm willing to spend on, essentially, a fancy netbook.
mini6090
October 21, 2010 at 5:46am
The core2duo still showing its ugly face... i thought it was a great chip at the time, anything to get away from the 'pentium' series, don't get me wrong, but compared to any of the new core i3/5/7, it's weak and already obsolete. In my opinion, it's an insult to anyone looking to 'upgrade'. I appreciate the build quality, that's about it, outside of that, Apple loves to endlessly rip its customers a new a-hole... but to be fair, the customers willingly bend over and take it
Altek
three6mafia1665
October 21, 2010 at 10:54am
+1
Anyone educated in computers knows this...the other 95% of the market, not so much.
someone87
October 21, 2010 at 4:07am
I admit Apple has it's place, as does windows.
I own a Mini Mac, and an older eMac.
But I have to admit, the new air looks very nice, I might just have to buy one for "work" and write it off.....
Thursday
October 21, 2010 at 4:19am
No version of OS X currently supports TRIM, nor is it planned for the next implimentation of OS X (believe it is called Lion). During the latest AppleTech training seminar this was actually brought up and at first the trainer thought we were talking about Final Cut Pro...lol. The response from a more technical minded tech trainer was that (word for word quote) "An SSD running at 50% speed is still faster than a standard Hard Drive". Total facepalm moment for sure...lol.
YoshiHNS
October 21, 2010 at 6:02am
"An SSD running at 50% speed is still faster than a standard Hard Drive". Total facepalm moment for sure...lol.
Not entirely a facepalm moment. Depends on the SSD and on the HDD. Since it's a laptop, I would assume they were comparing a 5400rpm laptop drive with an average SSD. The statement would likely be true then.
Biceps
October 21, 2010 at 8:23am
Yeah, but who buys an SSD because it is a little faster than a 5400 rpm drive, lol. Looking at the hardware that is in the Air, and the prices they are selling them for, the Air looks to be a total rip-off compared to a similarly-equipped Windows-based device.
Eoraptor
October 21, 2010 at 10:06am
Apple has for years sold chevrolet parts at cadillac prices.
Anyone who has experience with an SSD-driven device would choose them over a platter drive, assuming they could afford to. And of course, that STILL doesn't address the issue of the absence of a TRIMM command.
Bender2000
October 22, 2010 at 7:30am
Its too big an oversight that there is nothing like the TRIM for OSX. It might not be called TRIM but you'd think the drive vendors would have some sort of garbage collection utility that works under OSX, or even a dissatisfied hacker. They can hack OSX to run on open platforms but they can't make a garbage collection TRIM emulator? If there is indeed nothing like that out there I'm jumping out my window in disbelief.
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
The gang discusses the GTX 690, Trinity, Ivy Bridge, Amazon, big-box stores, MMOs,...
This month's issue
Feature
Build a PC On Any Budget
Feature
Cloud Services Showdown
How-To
Encrypt Your External Drive
Build It
Upgrade an X58 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Original RickRoll Video Returns to YouTube After 24-Hour Copyright Hiatus http://t.co/MaH9Sxyy22 hours 16 min ago
- maximumpc: Corsair has decided not to go forward with its $78 million IPO, citing weak equity market conditions http://t.co/A5a4DAzj22 hours 26 min ago
- maximumpc: Want to work at Maximum PC? Our Online Managing Editor, Alex, is moving away, so we need a new one. http://t.co/9Z7JCh0E2 days 20 hours ago
